Linden man gets 15 months for perjury, false statements

Tuesday

Mar 11, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Stephen J. Johnson of Linden was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison for committing perjury before a federal grand jury and making false statements to the FBI, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

The Record

Stephen J. Johnson of Linden was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison for committing perjury before a federal grand jury and making false statements to the FBI, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, Johnson, 66, a law enforcement dog trainer, was charged with conspiring to obstruct an FBI investigation of Bob Holloway, former owner of Road Dog Cycle in Denair, along with Holloway, retired Stanislaus County Deputy Sheriff Dave Swanson and Gary Ermoian, a private investigator from Stanislaus County. Johnson was also charged with two counts of making false statements to the FBI and six counts of perjury before a federal grand jury.

When interviewed by the FBI in 2008, Johnson denied assisting Holloway in hiding evidence and informing Holloway about law enforcement surveillance, Wagner said in his statement. Johnson then testified under oath before a federal grand jury later in 2008 and further denied assisting Holloway.

Ermoian and Johnson were convicted at trial on all charges, but Swanson was acquitted. Holloway had pleaded guilty to racketeering charges prior to trial.

Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the obstruction of justice count against Ermoian and Johnson. Johnson, therefore, had to be resentenced on the perjury and false statement counts of which he was convicted.